Psych Meds II

Someone, who remains anonymous, asked: "What about our medicated society?"

I spoke a little about his once in late September, but it is a major concern of mine. I have to deal with medication much more now than I did ten years ago. Many people now come to me and expect to get some pills (which I can't give), and there is a big push on by the powers-that-be to get people to see medication as the first option.

I received a little folder in the mail today from Aetna that described how they are designing "scientific" treatment protocols. They are also encouraging, and paying for, PCPs to screen for depression, and then hand out medications. The insurance companies and the drug companies want you to think of drugs first. They want you to believe that whenever you feel bad that a pill can make it better. By extension they want you to think that your bad mood is a biological condition, and maybe it has nothing to do with you life. Your anxiety, according to them, just fell from the sky, you caught depression from someone who sat next to you at the airport. All psychological and emotional problems can be reduced to their physiological components, and then be treated with drugs that will realign your physiology.

This is really a political/economic stance as much as it is a medical one.

First, let me say that I do feel that medications can be a very effective part of a treatment plan. I have seen them help some people dramatically. Many people they help slightly; they take the edge off, reduce some anxiety or depression. For many others they cause weight gain, headaches, dizziness, irritation and sexual dysfunction.

But my major objection is how the insurance/drug industry plays into the "Less thought is better" aspect of the American psychological mind-set. If you life sucks because your wife left, or you screw-up your job, or you dropped the ball, take a pill. It will calm you down, and then cheer you up. If you can't focus, or get bad grades, take a pill; it will help == and it will.

But, often, this kind of medication will help you accept what is wrong with your life more than it will help you do something about it.

Now, in therapy, I spend too much time with people who are switching medications, or are too spaced out, or falling asleep because of their pills. Their emotions have become disconnected from their lives.

Yes, if you are terribly immobilized from depression you should take medication. If you are having intrusive, crazy thoughts, take some medication. But, in truth, I have not seen great benefits from the huge acceptance of psychiatric medication.

I have had many clients who have told me that they feel that they can't cry any more, or they don't get sad, but they don't get happy. One person told me he felt like he was living with emotional oven-mitts on.

But we are living in American when profits drive everything. More companies make more money from medications than they do from therapy. I don't have any of those beautiful drug salespeople knocking on my door. Billions of dollars are not riding on what I recommend.

I also don't offer easy solutions. Therapy can be, should be, difficult and sometimes painful.

But, most of the really independent research that I have read shows that the effects of psychotherapy last much longer.